Pirates See Season End, 9-7, to No. 25 James Madison

Thursday, April 30

Nashville, TN

8:15 p.m.

East Carolina University

8-9

James Madison

12-6

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
East Carolina	1	3	2	1	7
James Madison	2	1	2	4	9

April 30, 2026 | Lacrosse

Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The East Carolina lacrosse team's season came to an end on Thursday night in FirstBank Stadium, it felt like it shouldn't have. By so many measures, from statistics to the eye test, it was perhaps the best game the Pirates have played in the relatively brief history of the program in what resulted in a 9-7 loss to No. 25 James Madison in the American Conference Semifinal Round.

It happened like this:

For nearly nine minutes, the game did not see a goal. There was good goalkeeping from ECU—six saves made by Jaime Behar—and good defense from JMU with four turnovers forced on the Pirates (8-8, 3-3 American). The Dukes (11-6, 5-1 American) finally got the game's opening goal with 6:06 remaining in the first quarter, over half of the period having been played without the ball hitting the net.

Jamie Collender answered the score in short order to take the teams back to level footing 10 minutes in. After a free position score for JMU, the game featured a 2-1 score line after 15 minutes played.

Collender, who came on strong towards the end of the season, scored again before assisting on a Katelyn Sclafani woman-up goal to help the Pirates take their first lead of the game, 3-2, at the 9:08 mark of the second. The duo combined again with 5:34 to go before halftime with Sclafani doubling the lead on a spectacular rip from the left of the eight-meter arc.

After recording her second caused turnover of the game in the second quarter, unanimous First Team All-Conference defender Emma Magazu also notched her second ground ball of the game, giving the Newtown, Conn. native 46 ground balls this season which ties Alexandra Giacolone's program record. Magazu also has 28 caused turnovers this year, behind only Kayla Wilkes and herself from last season in program history.

East Carolina entered halftime with a 4-3 lead. Behar, who entered the game with three games of double digit saves on the season, notched her fourth in the first half alone with 10 critical stops.

JMU scored woman-up on a solo effort by Olivia Matthews a few minutes into the third quarter to bring the contest to four apiece. The game did not see another tally until there were fewer than five minutes to play in the period when Maya Koebke assisted on Sarah Goodison's goal, also coming from a woman-up situation.

After a goal for the Dukes, Sclafani found the back of the goal for her hattrick on a free position shot in the final minute of the third, giving ECU a 6-5 edge after 45 minutes of action.

The final period started with a slew of turnovers either way, another Behar save, then finally a Wilkes tally with 10:02 to play. That goal was assisted again by Collender, her third of the day, tying her season and career bests. The two-goal lead did not last long as James Madison struck on a free position by Jordan Peterson less than two minutes later to cut it back to one at 7-6.

In what became a theme, the Dukes got the next woman-up goal on a Bre McVicker tally with 5:45 remaining to make it seven all. The goal came in the immediate aftermath of Behar making another exceptional save on a free position shot which the Pirates were ultimately unable to corral. Behar finished with 15 saves in the game, the fourth game with 15+ stops of her decorated ECU career.

JMU retook the lead, capping their 3-0 run with McVicker's second in a row with 2:58 to play. It was the team's first lead since 2-1in the first quarter. The Dukes went on to score once more to ice it.

They say an improbable possibility is favorable to a probable impossibility, and lightning came within inches of striking for these Pirates this time out. From Behar's brilliance to Collender's breakthrough success to Sclafani's steady presence and Magazu's stalwart defense, there was so much to love on Thursday. The final score just didn't cooperate. Heads held high; we'll remember this group fondly.